Meet Dr Angelina Lay

Hi I’m Angie and I work in cancer research at Centenary.

My life has followed an unusual path to end up researching liver disease. I was born in Timor-Leste (East Timor) and grew up while Timor-Leste was under the occupation of Indonesian troops. During that time not many schools were open and my parents feared sending me out when many East Timorese “disappeared”. It wasn’t until I was 12 that I went to school for the first time! I was so excited to finally attend school and wear a school uniform.

After a few years, things deteriorated in Timor-Leste again, but I was fortunately able to migrate to Australia in my late teens. Starting year 11 with no English was a real struggle; I had a few friends, but as you can imagine that was tough. I wasn’t going to waste this amazing opportunity; I worked hard and got into UNSW studying an advanced science degree.

I am now a scientist and a mum of two adorable kids (12 and 9 years) and my husband is also a full-time senior scientist.

I love what I do every day, it is challenging but rewarding knowing that my medical research today will help us better understand chronic liver disease and find ways to reduce the impact of liver disease – now the fastest-growing cancer killer in Australia.